INTERVIEW: DORO PESCH – February 2020

According to a recent press release: “DORO experienced success on a global scale with her latest 2CD studio album, Forever Warriors, Forever United (released in August 2018 via Nuclear Blast). The album achieved an astounding highs on the vinyl and album charts in Europe. It also landed #2 in the UK rock charts as well as numerous other top rankings across Europe and the USA. Forever Warriors, Forever United was DORO’s 20th album (including Warlock and live releases), and it is proof of her long-lasting chapter of the finest creativity and power. The album was released just in time for her 35th anniversary of live performances. The release included 25 brand-new songs, which all had one thing in common: incredible stylistic diversity paired with the highest quality.” We were able to grab some precious phone time with Doro just before she traveled to the US for her appearance on the Monsters of Rock Cruise to discuss touring, music, her own label imprint, Little Richard, and more…

Toddstar: Doro, thank you so much for taking time out. I appreciate it as always. It’s always an honor to speak with you.

Doro: Yeah, same here. In two days, I’m flying over to do the Monsters of Rock Cruise, so perfect timing.

Toddstar: You mentioned the cruise and after that you get some U.S. dates in there. Unfortunately, you’re not coming to Detroit. You’re getting close with Chicago. What can you tell us about touring the States? You’re so huge in Europe, but we love you so much here in the States. What is it about the States that has you come back time and time again to throw dates out there?

Doro: Oh, Todd, I love the States! I love touring there. I love the people! I love the fans! First time when I came to the States was in ’87. And then I stayed. And now I’m a proud Green Card holder. I love America. For me, it’s a big joy to tour there and it doesn’t matter if the clubs are smaller. That doesn’t matter a bit because the atmosphere, the excitement is still great, and everybody is on fire. We couldn’t bring our two guitar players this time. Our Italian guy, Luca Princiotta, and Bas Maas, they aren’t on because of the work permits. It’s too late. Usually it takes like three, four months to get it. So we will definitely have Bill Hudson on guitar and Tommy Bolan, my guitar player from the Warlock Triumph and Agony record. And then my drummer Johnny Dee and bassist Nick Douglas. We just celebrated Johnny Dee’s 26 and a half years in our band. Nick is now with us 30 years. So yeah, we’re all a really happy family, I tell you. It’s such a blessing to have good people around.

Toddstar: That’s awesome. It’s been a couple years since Forever Warriors, Forever United. How do you find that it is playing some of those newer songs alongside all of your classics? You’ve launched so many classic songs over the years. Do you find the fans are still grasping the new music and digging it?

Doro: Yes. Yes. Totally, totally, Todd! The songs like “Blood, Sweat, and Rock and Roll,” or “Soldier of Metal,” or “All for Metal.” It doesn’t matter a bit that it’s a newer album. It fits right in. We change our set list every night, so people who sometimes travel far to see a couple of shows, everybody can always know that we play different songs and that it will be always special and a unique night. Of course, the old Warlock classics I love to play. When we are doing the set on the Monsters of Rock boat, actually I have three guitar players. Tommy is there and our dude Luca, the Italian guy, and Bas Maas. So we will have three guitar players all shredding, all playing solos, sometimes at the same time. It will be awesome and a lot of energy. We always try to play the highlights, depending how long our show time is. Sometimes there’s a strict curfew, but usually I play as long as the fans want. It can be two hours, two and a half, and then we play from the first Burning the Witches album to Triumph and Agony, Forever Warriors, Forever United, so all the good stuff. It seems all the same level of quality. I think the new songs, they are as catchy and great melodies, great notes, great riffs. Even the faster things, like on the last album Raise Your Fist there’s one song “Revenge.” Everybody thinks it’s an old school metal song but it was actually a song off of Raise Your Fist. That’s liked by the fans a lot. Yeah, on this new album there’s always a lot of fun and head banging. I like it intense. Super heavy, fast, and super soulful and deep. I love it all. The anthems, the ballads, the faster songs, and whenever the show calls for, when I feel there are a lot of really die-hard metal heads, then I always play more metal anthems. And when I feel there are more normal people there who like melodic stuff, we’ll put a couple of more melodic songs in and it always seems like great. It’s not that I have any favorites. Of course it’s always great when I see songs coming up on the set list I know everybody’s so happy and into it and definitely partying, but yeah, every single song means the world to me.

Toddstar: You’re always so busy, Doro, whether it’s touring or doing things like this cruise or other festivals or shows. I know you’re always a huge hit at Waken. In 2013, you were honored with the Metal Hammer Legends Award, you were also given the German Metal Hammer Award. And then a couple years later, here in the U.S. we gave you the Metal Goddess Legends Award. What do you think when people are giving you these legends awards? What does it mean to you?

Doro: I tell you it’s so heart-warming, and when you feel like there’s great energy, great feedback. When you have that feeling people love you as much as you love the people. There’s nothing like it in the world. It gives me motivation for the next 100 years. When I was growing up, it was always my dream to go to America. And then when I first got there in ’86, ’87, I knew that was my country. I loved it. I loved that people really appreciated music so much, and I still love it so much for that reason. They know about good stuff and music is super, super important, and film as well. I think America is definitely something for making people happy and for doing something really unbelievable, amazing, special, unique. That’s what America is definitely known for. And I still can tell you, I think I always got the best songs when I was in America. You feel amongst the same carnal spirits. They all feel the same. They always strive for something great. And I tell you, the awards, man, it shows that people like what you do. And sometimes it’s hard to do the touring or doing a record. There’s so much more than what people see, like when they see a show for two hours, they think that’s great and it’s probably a great lifestyle. I tell you, it’s sometimes so hard. It’s always a war out there and you always have to fight every single day for your music or to keep going, and so these awards mean so much to me. And I just got the Angel of Rock award in England last winter, so that was awesome. Angel of Rock award, and there was one more award in the states. I got it actually in Wacken, but from the American guy, when they inducted me into the Hall of Heavy Metal History, and that was awesome too, so that was great. I got to present that award to Lita Ford last year. I inducted her into the Hall of Heavy Metal History in Anaheim. Wow, that was great. Ever since, we’re in close contact, and we want to do something together, and actually we did something in the studio already. There was suddenly this award, and then we said, “Hey, we’ve got to do something.” So many nice things that can come out of this event, or something, so it’s awesome. I’m not anybody who says, “Oh, I don’t care.” I definitely care a lot. I like them. I always put them in the best places. The Angel of Rock award, it was voted by fans, which, that was great, and I think I won with like 80% or 88% or whatever. That was really cool. And I think I told you before, I live for the fans. love the fans. That’s my mission in life, I guess, to make people happy and do what I love doing and hopefully the fans like it.

Toddstar: As you said in the past, whenever we spoke, Doro, the fans are your family.

Doro: Yes, man, still every day I feel it’s more and more meaningful, especially when times are getting tougher and tougher. I think I told you that, that I always said, “Life is getting really hard.” And I think every year I feel it’s harder and harder. So I always try to put extra-special good power and energy into everything we do. If it’s a show or a song or a record. And that was the reason why it was a double album: to have like 25 songs, not to just have 10-12 songs. I wanted to give the fans something extra-special.

Toddstar: Sure, well, it’s funny, anybody who’s followed you since 1984, it took you a while, but now you have your own record label. Tell us a little bit about Rare Diamond Productions.

Doro: I got the rights to my records back when I was at SPV and AFM. All these records, they are not available anymore. So I thought, “Man that’s such a shame,” because there was so much work put into it, so much time and stuff. I talked to some people to see if it would be possible to do my own label that I can do special things, and picture discs and special packages, something like what is a little different from the norm. I found somebody who actually said, “Well, we can do it.” Our first release was actually an album with vinyl and picture vinyl, really nice. And it was all German songs. It was called Für Immer, which is still one of my favorite songs. And now we wanted to re-release all of the back catalog. The DVD’s, which were always really, very nicely done. So that’s the next… what will come out. For Christmastime, I hope to release a Best-of Ballads. That will be a double CD, because there are so many nice ballads. We want to re-record some older songs, some mellow songs, and some live songs. We’re just in the middle of doing that. At Christmastime I want to release that. And it will be on my label, and a new record will be done by another record company again, but all the stuff which, all the rights I have, I want to do something with it. Some record labels, they never released in the states, so maybe people are into it or interested. I think we have so many beautiful songs, and I think it will be worth it. The new CD will be probably a single disc. I’m still writing some new songs.

Toddstar: Well, I’ve got a personal request that you need to release on Rare Diamond Productions. You and I have joked about this several times over the years, but we still need to hear your version of “Lucille.”

Doro: Oh, yeah, wow! I have never, never, never done it. I’ve never rehearsed it, never sang it. Oh, you’re right. Oh, man, this is deep. Yeah, one day. Thank you for reminding me! On the last disc, I wanted to do a nice song or maybe cover Whitesnake, the “Don’t Break My Heart Again,” and then “Lost In the Ozone” by Motörhead. Yeah and I totally didn’t think of “Lucille.” This is probably not easy to do, but when it’s done right, I think people might really like it. And since I love the song so much, but I loved him as a performer so much, so that definitely, that would be an adventure, but Little Richard, oh my god, what an inspiration.

Toddstar: Well I know you’re busy, and I thank you so much for your time. I want to wish you safe travels. And I’m hoping somewhere along the way, someone will get smart, and offer you enough money to hit Detroit, maybe around the dates in Chicago.

Doro: Hey, actually Todd, on the next run we will do it. There’s some things in the making already, so Detroit will definitely be on our list. I hope this year or by the end of the year. And I’m so happy that we played for the first time the M3 festival. I always want to play that festival, and since in Europe there’s so many festivals, I’m always so happy when we get on the bill of a cool festival in the states, since there are not so many. This is the first time for us. So that’s the reason why we put the little tour around it; that was the thought behind it.

Toddstar: Thank you so much from the bottom of my rock and roll heart, Doro. I appreciate all you do and we can’t wait to see you again.

Doro: Todd, thank you so much. It was great as always. Good talking to you, and have a great day. To talk again was great. I always enjoy it big-time.

Toddstar: Always, Doro, we’ll talk to you soon.

Doro: Yeah, thank you Todd, take care!

DORO LINKS:

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Category: Interviews